More Manitoba high school and adult students will have the opportunity to develop the specialized skills needed to get high-quality jobs in the aerospace sector thanks to a new shop facility at Technical Vocational High School.
“Technical vocational education gives students the opportunity to gain employable skills and explore career options in trades and technology in an environment modelled after the workplace,” said Education and Early Childhood Learning Nello Altomare. “This new aerospace shop at Tec Voc will benefit Manitoba students for generations to come.”
The new 5,000-square-foot, two-storey addition and 5,800-sq.-ft. renovation was completed in December 2023.
The project co-located the aerospace program with the welding and machining shops, included the creation of two shared classrooms on the second floor and restored the former aerospace area into three academic classrooms.
Students will receive training on industry equipment, enabling graduates to meet apprenticeship standards for the level 1 aviation maintenance journeyperson program. The new space currently allows for 272 students in grades 9 to 12 as well as 43 adult students to participate in the program, the minister said.
Canada is a global leader in aerospace, noted the minister, and Manitoba is home to Canada’s third-largest aerospace industry and has been the quickest to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Providing Manitoba adult and high school students with hands-on learning and certification in aviation maintenance will help drive the momentum in this key economic industry in our province, said Altomare.
“Winnipeg School Division is proud of our partnerships within the community and the role we play in helping students achieve their full potential,” said Tamara Kuly, chair, Winnipeg School Division board of trustees. “The students who are studying aviation and aerospace technologies in this newly expanded building are learners engaged in deep and sophisticated thinking that integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics to serve them in their future careers.”
Technical Vocational High School is a grade 9 to 12 school in Winnipeg with approximately 1,145 students. The school offers a broad range of technical vocational programs. Tec Voc began offering aerospace programming to students in 1996.
